The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has condemned the recent killings in Benue State.

In a statement yesterday by Terrence Kuanum, his special adviser on public affairs, Akume described the killings as a “mindless barbarism”.

Akume expressed optimism that President Bola Tinubu’s directive to service chiefs to restore peace in Benue would yield the desired results.

He said: “The continued bloodletting and mindless killings across Benue State are both disheartening and utterly condemnable.

“This latest reprehensible act — one among too many — is not merely a tragedy for Benue; it is a deep wound to the soul of our nation.

“These dastardly acts are not restricted to Benue State alone. Plateau and Zamfara states also suffer the same fate. These killings are economic deterministic, not religious driven.

“The innocent lives lost — men, women, and children — will not be forgotten. “We mourn them not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters, bound together by a shared humanity and a common destiny.